The New Year’s Blues and a Winter Challenge

Christmas is the most-celebrated holiday in North America and is full of anticipation! It’s a time when work slips by the wayside and we make effort to connect with people we love.The house is cozily decorated, gifts are bound, wrapped and placed under the tree whether it be a simple soap bar or the extra special ‘something’ that has been long-wished for. In many homes, this is the season for special foods. Now more than ever, time is spent lingering over meals. The anticipated Christmas traditions unfold their wings and take flight. We all love it. There is something so very special about this time.

And then, suddenly as it began, its over. Family members slowly leave one by one, the leftovers stare at you from the counter tops in the empty kitchen, the gifts are gone, decor comes down and swiftly as it came, its over.

For those who live in a bustling household, perhaps the after-Christmas season is a relief. If so, this post won’t be as relevant to you and your family. But for those who live in rural areas, the after-Christmas season difficult. Included are those who no longer have children at home, the sick or physically limited and those who live by themselves. Loneliness sets it and we become more acutely aware of our situation. The hum-drum of life comes over us and all too often we dread the month of January.

I’ve decided that this year, I don’t want to drag myself through the beginning of a new year! As usual, I have choices I can make and I want to live this month well. And so, I invite you to join me! For the next 3 weeks, I will be posting tips, ideas and thoughts that can help us enjoy the upcoming days.

Throughout the exercise, I’d love to have you post your thoughts below, how your experiments went and anything you found particularly refreshing! Who knows but that your ideas will spark something for someone else! Let’s do it together!

And to open up the doorway for a great month, I’m going to begin by sharing one tip and one idea, along with what I will personally implement into my week.

Tip #1:

Your attitude makes a huge difference in how your month goes! Every day of this week, choose 5 things you are grateful for. Write ’em down and when you talk with someone, nonchalantly slip one of those things into the conversation.

Idea #1:

Bring something intriguing into life, something you can apply yourself to and learn. Has there been a skill you’ve always wanted to tackle? Perhaps its wood or leather working, mechanics or welding? Maybe its quilting or crocheting, gardening or food preservation techniques? Have you always wanted to learn how to make your own cheese or beef jerky? Head to the library, pull out a book! Or if you enjoy online learning, scan youtube and begin the procedure.

My Personal Goal #1:

I’ve been fascinated with fermented goods. My new and interesting project for this week is learning to make a particular type of sourdough starter. I’ve been waiting and waiting to make this special bread! We picked up our grain share in November. Among the sacks were several filled with fed fife wheat! Now that I have the grain, I can begin! Due to this starter’s need for constant feeding, I decided to wait until after Christmas to tackle the challenge. Now is the time and I’m looking forward to it! I hope to share my experience in a blog post shortly!

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Comments

Love you ideas! We have been making elk jerky and experimenting with recipes, trying to find one that we love. I’ve also REALLY been wanting to experiment with a fermented drink of two, that will help our guts. If anyone has some good ideas / recipes, I’d LOVE to hear!

Meet Autumn

I'm Autumn, a young gal who loves homemaking, enjoys the great outdoors and believes that old fashioned skill sets have much to offer our modern world. I've found a better life and invite you to join me on the journey! Read More…